Completion of VSEEP

With crosswalks completed and new street signs installed, the Vine Street Expressway Enhancement Project along 9th Street is complete. The street was reopened the week of May 14th. Support by the Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities with funding from the Pennsylvania Community Transportation Initiative, the project im-proves pedestrian safety, walkability, traffic calming, and has trans-formed the area into a beautiful residential street that stretches along 9th Street from Vine Street to Callowhill Street. The elimination of directional highway signage and highway ramp, and the addition of a parking lane are traffic calming measures that have contributed to no-ticeably less traffic volume and reduced speeds. This creates a safer pedestrian and walking environment.
The design elements project the culture of Chinatown and have trans-formed the area from a hard industrial quality to a neighborhood feel.
In the past two years, PCDC brought three streetscape projects to Chi-natown; the 10th Plaza, 10th Street Commercial Corridor project, and VSEEP project. All these were goals of our Chinatown Neighborhood Plan of 2004 to establish safe, pedestrian, and friendly access over Vine Street Expressway, which divides the Chinatown North neighborhood and Chinatown South, commercial/residential core. The completion of the VSEEP project marks another milestone in our endeavor to en-hance the quality of life in Chinatown.